Passage Analysis: Speak by Laurie Halse AndersonI'm writing a report on this novel, and I've decided to center it around the following passage:
"I know my head isn't screwed on straight. I want to...

I'm writing a report on this novel, and I've decided to center it around the following passage:

"I know my head isn't screwed on straight. I want to leave, transfer, warp myself to another galaxy. I want to confess everything, hand over the guilt and mistake and anger to someone else. There is a beast in my gut, I can hear it scraping away at the inside of my ribs. Even if I dump the memory, it will stay with me, staining me. My closet is a good thing, a quiet place that helps me hold these thoughts inside my head where no one can hear them.”

I thought that it was a great paragraph that describes Melinda's withdrawl from the world and her current wish to isolate herself from everyone else. But is there more to it?

"I know my head isn't screwed on straight. [This sentence may imply that she is capable of self-criticism, that she is self-reflective] I want to leave, transfer, warp myself to another galaxy. [This sentence seems to imply that she is imaginative and also emphatic in the way she expresses herself.] I want to confess everything, hand over the guilt and mistake and anger to someone else. [This sentence seems to support both of the previous comments.] There is a beast in my gut, I can hear it scraping away at the inside of my ribs. [Once again, she seems imaginative, creative, and attracted to metaphorical language.] Even if I dump the memory, it will stay with me, staining me. [This sentence shows how attuned she is to the sound-effects of her language. Notice how she uses both alliteration and assonance here.] My closet is a good thing, a quiet place that helps me hold these thoughts inside my head where no one can hear them.” [This sentence, like much of the rest of this passage, suggests that she often uses language that is simple, clear, and straightforward.]